1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a horizontal type vibrating compressor, and more specifically to a horizontal type vibrating compressor comprising a cylindrical container for accommodating a compressor proper, which is disposed horizontally, and closure members for closing both open ends of the container wherein coil springs are respectively interposed in the compressed state between each closure member and the compressor proper; cushioning members and supporting members are provided to support the compressor proper within the container; and an air/oil intake tube connecting the outside and inside of the compressor proper is provided, the outer end thereof being connected to a fiber braided tube disposed on the lower inside part of the container, and the inner end thereof being disposed above the portion where a compressor piston enters a compressor cylinder within the compressor proper.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional vibrating compressor heretofore developed and put into application is usually constructed, from considerations of construction and driving principle, as the vertical type which is designed to cause compression in the vertical direction. Consequently, small household refrigerators, refrigerators for use on board automobiles or boats and other various products using the vibrating compressors are largely of such a construction that the vertical type vibrating compressor can be incorporated. In recent years, however, the need for horizontal type vibrating compressors is increasingly felt from the viewpoint of providing flexibility in the type, size and construction of such products as well as the space for installing the vibrating compressor.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a horizontal type vibrating compressor designed to satisfy such a demand. In the figure, reference numeral 1 refers to a cylindrical container; 2 and 2' to mounting legs fixed to the lower part of the container 1; 3 and 3' to closure members; 4 to a suction tube; 5 to a discharge tube; 6 to a compressor proper; 7 and 7' to compressor-side supporting members; 8 and 8' to container-side supporting members; 9 and 9' to coil springs; 10 to an air/oil intake tube, respectively.
The compressor proper 6 is suspended by the coil springs 9 and 9' engaging with the compressor-side supporting members 7 and 7' and the container-side supporting members 8 and 8' within the cylindrical container 1, which is closed by the closure members 3 and 3'. The refrigerant gas introduced through the suction tube 4 is mixed with the lubricating oil, which is injected in small quantities on the bottom of the container 1, at a predetermined ratio and is sucked through the air/oil intake tube 10 into the compressor proper 6. The lubricating oil sucked into the compressor proper 6 lubricates the compressor piston and is discharged, together with the refrigerant gas, through the discharge tube 5 to the outside.
This type of horizontal type vibrating compressor is widely used in small-sized household refrigerators, refrigerators on board automobiles and boats because of small size, lightweight and low power consumption. When used on board a vehicle, however, large acceleration or deceleration during start and stop of the vehicle, or large vibration or impact exerted to the container 1 during travelling on rough roads may cause the compressor proper 6 to rock in various directions within the container 1 and to collide against the inner walls of the container 1 or the closure members 3 and 3', resulting in uncomfortable noises or damages to the compressor proper 6.
Needless to say, this type of compressor requires the refrigerant gas and the lubricating oil for lubricating moving contact surfaces such as piston to be mixed at a predetermined ratio, compressed and recirculated to ensure uniform refrigerating characteristics and to prevent the wear and seizure of moving contact surfaces such as piston.
In the horizontal type compressor as shown in FIG. 1, however, the bottom of the cylindrical container 1 housing the compressor proper 6 is oblong in the horizontal direction, so that the level of lubricating oil collecting on the bottom of the container greatly varies if the vehicle is tilted for some reason or other. This causes the amount of oil sucked into the air/oil intake tube 10 to change, leading to changes in the mixing ratio of the refrigerant and the lubricating oil, or the sucking-in of the refrigerant gas or the lubricating oil alone in extreme cases.
Furthermore, the lubricating oil tends to lubricate only the lower contact surface between the piston and the cylinder since the piston of the vibrating compressor vibrates in essentially horizontal direction, instead of revolving within the cylinder. This often causes seizure of the contact surface between the piston and the cylinder due to inadequate lubrication.